The Never Ending Heart Tomato Question

[taboule]

I grew Fish Lake Oxheart and Coeur de Boeuf, the latter from seeds a friend brought from France. They were similar in flavor (great) and production (high.) Although another year of comparing the two might be fun, I may only grow FLO this season for simplicity -I realize this last statement may be hard to understand.

[Tomato Beth]

This past summer, I grew Lithuanian Crested Pink. It's a RL pink heart-shaped tomato. The taste was mild and on the sweeter side. It was very productive considering we had a relatively cool weather. My biggest ones were 1.5 pounds, but most were in the 14 ounce range.

These tomatoes are quite meaty and have very few seeds. The lack of seeds are probably why this one isn't better known. I saved the seeds from practically every tomato I harvested to save enough for the two seed swaps in which I participated.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Tomato Beth

This past summer, I grew Lithuanian Crested Pink. It's a RL pink heart-shaped tomato. The taste was mild and on the sweeter side. It was very productive considering we had a relatively cool weather. My biggest ones were 1.5 pounds, but most were in the 14 ounce range.

These tomatoes are quite meaty and have very few seeds. The lack of seeds are probably why this one isn't better known. I saved the seeds from practically every tomato I harvested to save enough for the two seed swaps in which I participated.

I offerred it in my 2014 seed offer, seeds donated by Lee Goodwin of J and L seeds, as you can see by scrolling down to the new ones.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...014+seed+offer

I've grown it and liked it very much as well as did those who posted in my Fall feedback thread.

Here's Tania's page for it:

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...b=General_Info

And only Lee was offering it for 2014 if you look at seed availability at that page. I haven't inventoried my seeds for my upcoming 2015 seed offer so I don't know if I'll have enough seeds to relist.

Carolyn

[parah]

Originally Posted by b54red

First are to ones I like enough to grow again:

Donskoi- far and away my favorite heart and also one of my all time favorites
Fish Lake Oxheart- very early, very tasty, med to large, fairly productive moderate vine
Anna Russian- very productive with good flavor med sized plant spindly vine
Kosovo- productive and dependable, large fruit, good flavor
Oleyars German- productive, med to large, good flavor
Bill

I am so glad you shared your list. I was reading this thread getting excited about trying to find space for 5 more heart tomato varieties. Getting ready to order more seeds.... Obbsessive-Compulsive feedback loop engaged, ha ha.

You list reminded me, I already have 4 of your favorite hearts. Maybe that is enough for now. It is so easy to get lost in the quest for the elusive great tomato, just one more seed order....

Tomato OCD emergency has been avoid, thanks.

Interesting that you and Camochef have different experience with Wes. I think he mentioned that Wes is the only Heart he grows. Do you think your hotter weather makes the flavor bland?

[dokutaaguriin]

Hi,
You may also want to consider Hays' Tomato. Here is what I wrote about it:
Frances Machum (AB) was every so generous to share this variety with me in 2008. Frances received these seeds from the proprietor, Bob Ponting, of a cafe in Hays, Alberta. The gentleman said they were his family heirloom from Bulgaria. Frances decided to name them after the city of Hays. This is a very sweet tomato.

Jeff

[b54red]

Originally Posted by parah

I am so glad you shared your list. I was reading this thread getting excited about trying to find space for 5 more heart tomato varieties. Getting ready to order more seeds.... Obbsessive-Compulsive feedback loop engaged, ha ha.

You list reminded me, I already have 4 of your favorite hearts. Maybe that is enough for now. It is so easy to get lost in the quest for the elusive great tomato, just one more seed order....

Tomato OCD emergency has been avoid, thanks.

Interesting that you and Camochef have different experience with Wes. I think he mentioned that Wes is the only Heart he grows. Do you think your hotter weather makes the flavor bland?

I'm sure it makes a big difference in both flavor and production along with the quality of the fruit. We have very high humidity and a lot of heat early on in the season and it only gets worse later in the season. I have found many tomatoes like Paul Robeson that do great for people up north of me but they generally do very poorly here but when they do make a few they are terrific.

The last year I grew Wes it had great production til it got TSWV and it was tough enough to keep producing despite the virus. It is only one of two varieties that have been able to withstand TSWV and keep producing that I have seen. Despite its toughness and productivity I found the fruit dry and mealy and only fit for the sauce pot. My best friend had the same experience in his garden and didn't want to regrow it even though it was his most productive large fruited tomato because of the bland flavor. I think some tomatoes flavor is enhanced by our weather while others find it detrimental and the only way to find out is grow them several years to get a good sense of what does better for each gardeners climate.

I have tested hundreds of varieties multiple years and now have got my list of varieties I find meet my requirements for taste narrowed down to less than 40. And of that 40 only about 10 to 15 are must grows every year.

Bill

[Tracydr]

Yeah, mine,too. I've been trying to find a source for venison scraps and organ meat for my dogs and cats since our move without luck. I may have to spring for a new bow or rifle,lol! I haven't hunted in about 10-12 years.

[schill93]

Bill did you ever grow Orange Russian 117? It is a beautiful heart, and I have read some great reviews on it. But it is a late bloomer, listed at 90 days which makes growing it very difficult for me. I am planning on growing many blacks/browns and purples, cause I love the dark intense ones.

However, I would like to add something different to the mix for a little more variety, and my mind keeps going to that Orange Russian 117. But being so late, I can't image being able to grow it. My window if just too short.

I looked at the Donskoi on Tatiana's website, and it really looks mouth watering. You just gave me another one to have to get.

But I need something totally different for variety that will taste good. I'm with Bill. It's all about flavor . (and what I can get to grow here. )

[Cole_Robbie]

I think OR117 is the sweetest heart I have grown. I don't find most heart varieties to be all that sweet, but OR117 is the exception.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I think OR117 is the sweetest heart I have grown. I don't find most heart varieties to be all that sweet, but OR117 is the exception.

And considering the parentage it should be sweet, at least in most years,for most folks.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Orange_Russian_117

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Georgia_Streak

I've grown many many gold/red bicolors, such as Georgia Streak, but found that they can be sweet and lucious one year and perhaps not so much grown the next year.IMO they are very much influenced by weather in any one season.

As you can see from the following link,I was the person who introduced and spread around Russian #117.

When SSE first started they had some volunteers that grew out and listed varieties, and that's how I got Russian 117 from that lady in HI, a blunt heart with fantastic taste.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Russian_117

Carolyn

[BigVanVader]

SOO is very sweet to me.

[Gardeneer]

"Coeur de Boeuf " is my 2017 grow list. Another heart will be a an unknown, as seen in my avatar currently. Those will be the two heart variety i will grow. I will also grow "Franchi" which is kinda inverted heart shape , also called piriform.
Some day I should try OR 117. I like orange color and sweet tomatoes.

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by schill93

Bill did you ever grow Orange Russian 117? It is a beautiful heart, and I have read some great reviews on it. But it is a late bloomer, listed at 90 days which makes growing it very difficult for me. . . . I would like to add something different to the mix for a little more variety, and my mind keeps going to that Orange Russian 117. But being so late, I can't image being able to grow it. My window if just too short. . . .

If it will grow here, which it did, I suspect you can grow it. It didn't get as large, or produce as many fruit or as many large fruit as it does where it is happier, but it did respectably compared to varieties that should do well here, and if I can get large starts in a little earlier than I did this year, might do even better. It's worth a try unless you are very short on space.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

"Coeur de Boeuf " is my 2017 grow list. Another heart will be a an unknown, as seen in my avatar currently. Those will be the two heart variety i will grow. I will also grow "Franchi" which is kinda inverted heart shape , also called piriform.
Some day I should try OR 117. I like orange color and sweet tomatoes.

Do you mean Cuor Di Bue? Coeur de Boeuf is identified as a beefsteak according to the Tomatobase. Also, not to be confused with Cuore Di Bue...

Cuor Di Bue It is a pink heart with very good flavor. I've grown it the past two years and it will be back next year.

I've also grown the Franchi Giant Pear and a few other piriforms over the years. They are great paste/cooking tomatoes, but not good fresh, in my opinion.

Russian 117 has become a repeat variety for me as well due to it's incredibly rich flavor and it's versatility for both eating and canning. It tends to set a couple of large fruit very early and not do much else until later in the season and then it really loads up with fruit. Most of them manage to ripen before the weather turns, but many end up being picked green and ripening indoors. We had a couple of the last ones in a caprese salad that I tossed with pasta just last week.

I tried OR117 this year but the plant didn't even set a single fruit before falling to disease. If I'm successful with grafting next year, I'll probably give it another try down the road. It would be nice to have a standard red, pink, and orange/bicolor heart each year.

[Gardeneer]

I think all those names mean the same thing: HEART OF BEEF. or sometimes called ox heart.
There is difference in spelling and pronunciation in French, Italian and Spanish.
FM- 8-2 -Coeur de Beuf.jpg